I have been thinking about our Greenbelt worship event- which will be entitled ‘Homesick’. One of the key themes emerges from a discussion about the nature of we humans- made a little lower than the angels, neither fully flesh nor completely spirit. An amalgam of both- or perhaps one on a journey to becoming the other.
It set me thinking about what it might mean for we Christians- how we live in the presence of the immanence- how our present is always lived in the belief that there is another reality- which Jesus described confusingly as ‘The Kingdom of God’.
I wonder if there is something in this life that will always be unfulfilled- always be tinged with nuance and compromise. This is no bad thing- it is the way of the pilgrim- how we learn through surprise encounters and hopeful longing as much as by certainty and knowing.
I came across this passage from the book of Genesis that says it as well as anything-
10 (C)Then the Lord said,
Why have you done this terrible thing? Your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground, like a voice calling for revenge.11 You are placed under a curse and can no longer farm the soil. It has soaked up your brother’s blood as if it had opened its mouth to receive it when you killed him.12 If you try to grow crops, the soil will not produce anything; you will be a homeless wanderer on the earth.13 And Cain said to the Lord,
This punishment is too hard for me to bear.14 You are driving me off the land and away from your presence. I will be a homeless wanderer on the earth, and anyone who finds me will kill me.15 But the Lord answered,
No. If anyone kills you, seven lives will be taken in revenge. So the Lord put a mark on Cain to warn anyone who met him not to kill him.16 And Cain went away from the Lord’s presence and lived in a land called
Wandering, which is east of Eden.
this fragile tent 
Chris
In Welsh there is the word ‘hiraeth’ which talks of this longing to go home but is something bigger than just homesickness. I used the concept of Hiraeth once for a communion service – the fact that we’re all longing for something more, for home, for something bigger and better and beyond what we know or can imagine.
Just wondering if Gaelic has a word that means that same sort of thing – that might give you a word to call your Greenbelt Worship thing.
Cheers from Downunder.
Rob!
Cheers Rob- a lovely parallel idea! I will add it into the mix- not sure if there is a Gaelic equivalent, I will ask around…
C
X
I read the children’s version of this to my son and I alwyas think, hmmm, the sons of Adam and Eve, the first people on the earth…who could there possibly be around to pick on Cain? But of course it’s simplified story.
And still, every time I read a passage from the bible I’m stunned at how the meanings still translate perfectly today despite many translations and who really knows how much time has passed. It makes you feel a real connection with these people and gives me the reassurance I need when faith falters.